Just To Be Who I Am
by Deiah
Summary: [SessKag] An event happens, causing Kagome to be unwillingly involve in an intricate series of conspiracy. She now has to survive by herself... or help a nemesis. ^^ *AN Posted*
1. Least Wanted Visitor

Title: Just to Be Who I Am

Author: Deiah

Genre: Romance/Action/Adventure/Mystery

Rating: PG-13

Summary: [SessKag] 'A person's life depends on the life of others.' In Sesshoumaru's case this isn't true, but an incident happens that changes everything. Everyone's affected-- A life depends on a pendant's survival, Kagome's existence hanging, Inuyasha's sanity up by a thread, lots of conspiracies, Urasue's involvement, new demons, life pendants, and a hell lot of adventures and experiences for all of them!     

Chapter 1: Least Wanted Visitor

"Here, Kagome-sama."

She took the cup, which Miroku handed to her. Absentmindedly, she nodded off her thanks to Miroku, and then she continued to stare at the fire in front of her, as if it was the most fascinating thing in the world. The fire's flames cackled and danced, its sound serving as the background for the group that gives off the homey touch for their campsite. All of them were quiet, as they waited for the return of a certain hanyou.

She glanced away from the fire to look down at the cup she was holding. A wave of emotions could be seen in her warm, brownish blue eyes as she stared at the cup, letting her fingers trace the surface pattern and cool feel of the mug. Occasionally, she felt small bumps, and twists and turns on the cup as she continued tracing its surface, hoping to forget her worry for the hanyou.

She heard a small sound, and on instinct, she looked up and glanced around for the source of the sound. She saw Shippou, who was cuddled on Sango's lap, moving only to cause the leaves around him to make small, rustling noises. She watched Shippou move closer to Sango, who was half-heartedly taking care of the kitsune. Immediately, she felt guilt gnawing in her heart. She should be the one taking care of the kitsune, not Sango. Although the kitsune doesn't need the warmth of the fire and could take care of himself, he was still young and needed a mother's love and affection.

_A mother's love, huh?_

She glanced at her companions, all who were staring at different directions except for Shippou, who was still sleeping. She watched Miroku, who was staring at the sky, his back resting against the tree trunk behind him. He was unusually quiet too, like the rest of them. He didn't even try to do his usual acts, such as placing his perverted hands on Sango's. No, he didn't even try. Sango was just two hands away from him, lying on the ground with Shippou right beside her. And he didn't even try. He didn't even look interested.

She felt a small smile forming on her lips as she continued observing her surroundings. Their group decided to camp by here after taking into consideration the clearing's position. There was a river near this clearing, a good fifty meters ahead and trees near them to make their position not so easy to find for an ordinary human. Leaves were scattered on the ground near Shippou, acting as a bed to make his sleep more comfortable.

She sighed softly as she placed the untouched cup down to reposition herself. She brought her knees to her chin, and then, she picked up her cup. She glanced at the contents of the cup, letting the contents swirl around.

_Inuyasha…_

Her head suddenly shot up at the thought, and so, she looked at Sango. She wanted to ask her if it would be okay to approach him. There were so many questions running on her mind, leaving her confused for the moment. Sango was a dear friend to her, almost like her best friend. She always relied on her to give her a good advice when she needed it. 

She opened her mouth to ask for her advice but no words came out of her. She felt like as if the words were lodged on her throat. She tried to speak to her again but Sango spoke up first.

"Don't," she advised hollowly, looking away to stare at Shippou. The fire's flame cackled again. "It would hurt his ego."

"But," she tried to protest. Her voice sounded odd as it completely broke the tense silence. 

"He's been through a lot," Miroku's voice said. She glanced at him but Miroku also avoided her eyes. "Sesshoumaru caused him enough pain already."

_Pain_, she repeated in her mind. She glanced up and saw the stars twinkling on the night skies. The stars shone brightly at them, adding a bit light to the darkness they almost got accustomed to because of the new moon. Her eyes went wide. _New moon!_ She clenched her fists, her hold on the cup tightening. The contents of the cup were in danger of being spilled. But how could she have forgotten? 

She stood up quickly, not caring if the contents of the cup would spill to the ground. She knew that he was turning to his human form today, how could she have forgotten it even for just a minute? "Sango! It's new moon, he might be-"

"We know," Miroku interrupted softly. "But he's been through a lot. Sesshoumaru defeated him just yesterday. You saw that right? It was a good thing that Inuyasha didn't get killed."

"More likely," Sango interrupted, as she turned to face them. "It's a good thing that the human child interfered."

Miroku fell silent. Then he spoke up again, "Although I couldn't quite understand why Sesshoumaru didn't just grab the Tetsusaiga when Inuyasha couldn't fight anymore. Instead, he insulted Inuyasha about his blood and then left." He shrugged carelessly. "He could have killed all of us right there and then."

Kagome's body trembled with vexation. "That's it!" she cried out as her grip on the cup loosened, dropping it in the process. She saw the content of the cup splattered all over the place but she didn't care. She didn't even care if the cup was rolling over dangerously near the fire. 

 _Inuyasha… _ 

"Sesshoumaru _didn't_ get the Tetsusaiga. He could attack us now." She clenched her fists to her sides. "He could attack Inuyasha now and grab the sword. He's defenseless right now! You know that, don't you?"

The rest of the group fell silent at her words. Shippou stirred up a bit but, thankfully, he didn't wake up. Only the cackle of the flames could be heard, occasional rustling of the leaves, and the whispers of the wind. Then, Sango broke the silence.

"You're right," she said finally. "We shouldn't care about his ego now. I guess his safety should come first." She stood up, careful not to wake the young kitsune. She eyed Kagome up and down. "Do you want me to come with you?"

Kagome smiled and shook her head gratefully. She hugged Sango so abruptly that Sango almost lost her balance. Kagome giggled and let her go. "Sorry," she said quickly. 

Sango shook her head and smiled. "It's okay." She shooed Kagome away. "Now go! He's probably resting at a one of a tree's branch."

She nodded, a feeling of happiness slowly filling her heart. She started to run away from their campsite but before she could take another step, Miroku called after her.

"Kagome," he called.

She looked back, looking confused. "Hai?"

Miroku merely looked at her. "The shards."

She smiled. "Not to worry, Miroku-san." She patted her uniform's pocket where the shards were placed. "It's with me."

Miroku glanced at her, chuckling. "That's what I'm worrying about," he told her, winking.

"Miroku!" she yelled, in a disapproving voice. "I can take care of myself."

"No," he said, shaking his head. "There can be youkais wandering near the heart of the forest. We can't take a risk. Inuyasha's pretty defenseless for sure. He can't protect you too. So… it's better if you hand me the shards. Sango and I will guard over it."

Kagome glanced at the Miroku and then to Sango. She saw Sango nodding at her. She bit her lip. She didn't want to give the shards to Miroku. That would mean that she couldn't protect herself. But then… She sighed. They do have a point. _And Inuyasha would probably get mad at me if I lose the shards_, she told herself. 

She nodded slowly, and then she handed Miroku the shards. She glanced at him, unsure. "Take care, Kagome," he said, nodding at her. "Be sure to go north."

She smiled and started to run towards the heart of the forest, where Inuyasha had headed. 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

He watched the stars as the wind gently caressed and played with his black hair. Golden eyes clashed against the moon, willing it to disappear. He hated this part of him. He was like the rest of his companions. Weak, easily wounded, and powerless.

As usual, he was seated on one of the branches of the dead tree. He leaned against the tree trunk and inhaled fresh hair. Somehow, the cool night air calmed him and made him feel a bit contented with himself. He was always like this whenever he's upset or even when he's not. He would seat at the branch of a tree, whether dead or alive, to observe his surroundings and just be a casual observer, watching how nature worked and, even for just a moment, being one with it.

He closed his eyes and tried to let himself feel the nature. He inhaled again a breath of fresh air, savoring the coolness it gave and the scent with it. He was human now so he couldn't really identify what was the crisp scent that came with the air. All he knew was that it was fresh with a tinge of jasmine. _Probably the flowers around here_, he thought.

He glanced around, and surely, he found flowers around the edge of the clearing. The place he was in was the heart of the forest, a small clearing wherein you could find a large, dead tree on the middle with green grass surrounding it. Small, purple flowers could be found at the edge of the clearing, making it a magnificent sight. The dead tree he was resting on, even though it was lifeless, was beautiful in its own way. A strange but beautifully sad sight.

He removed his stare from his surroundings to look at the direction of his companions. He had left them the moment they arrived there, after they barely got away from Sesshoumaru the day before. His eyes narrowed as he remembered his wretched brother. Clenching his fists at his sides, he stared at his fingers, frustrated that he didn't have his claws right now.

It was a shameful thing for him. His brother defeated him, and yet, he didn't kill him like he expected Sesshoumaru to do. He didn't even take his Tetsusaiga. And it was all because of a human child who got in the way. Sesshoumaru was about to plunge his Toukijiin to his stomach when they both sensed the little child coming closer. He glanced at her for a moment and saw that she had flowers with her. Sesshoumaru immediately glanced at the child, and, with a seemingly heavy heart, he withdrew his Toukijiin and returned it to its sheath. The child's eyes brightened when she saw Sesshoumaru, and then she ran to him. He saw his brother ordering Jaken, when he finally arrived, to take Rin because they were going to leave. However, before leaving, his brother insulted him, calling him 'weak' because he had human blood with him. 

Those words pained him the moment it came out of his brother's mouth, despite the numerous times he told him that, because the next day, he knew that he would turn into a complete human.

He clenched his fists more, wishing blood to run out from his hands. The wind softly blew his hair from his face again when he heard his name being called.

"Inuyasha?" the voice said again, tentatively.

He growled at the familiar tone. Without a glance, he closed his eyes and said in a cold voice, "What are you doing here?"

Kagome came out of the shadows and walked hesitantly towards the tree. When she was an inch away from the tree, she spoke up, "Anou… I just came to-"

"Came to what?" he asked harshly. He opened his eyes and glared at Kagome. Dozens of emotions flitted in Kagome's eyes as he observed her. For a minute there, he felt guilty. Kagome wouldn't cause him harm; she couldn't. _She's just concerned about you, baka!_ Then, those guilty feelings disappeared as fast as it had come. Maybe she pities you, a voice said in his head.

When Kagome didn't answer, he continued speaking. "To pity me?" He snorted in disdain. "You don't need to do that, I don't even feel bad for myself," he lied. 

A voice came to his head. You're lying, it said.

However, he was stubborn. So what?

"No," Kagome said. "I just came to check up on you."

Inuyasha glared at her. "I can take care of myself, you bitch. The one you should be looking after is yourself." And with that, he turned his back at her.

The reluctant expression on Kagome's face disappeared and turned into anger. "Inuyasha," she started dangerously, her body trembling. 

Inuyasha gulped when he heard Kagome's voice sounding dangerous. Filled with dread, his eyes widened as he waited for her next word. 

"OSUWARI!!!!"

He didn't even have the chance to think what was coming next. The next thing he knew, he was on the tree's base, his face eating the ground with Kagome standing beside him.

"Bitch!!" he yelled. His fists were clenched as he stood up to face Kagome. "Why did you do that?" he yelled angrily at Kagome's face. He waved his arms madly, pointing at the branch he sat on. "Do you know that I was seating there, huh? Up high there?"

Kagome merely glared at him as he continued ranting on.

"I'm in my human form! You were aware that I could have gotten injured badly!!" he yelled. "And you just have to-"

Kagome's next actions stopped him from continuing what he was about to say. The next thing he knew, he was already in Kagome's arms, his head buried on her raven hair. Kagome whispered soothing words to him, and, at the same time, she caressed his back with her hand. His tense body calmed at once and then he found himself inhaling Kagome's fresh, subtle scent. She smelled like she just came out from bathing, her smell reminding him of the fresh scent of the ocean and the calming scent of the air around them.

She removed herself from him, breaking the spell along the process, and smiled. "Where were you before I arrived?"

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Inuyasha sat once again on one of the tree branches, this time with Kagome beside him. Kagome leaned against him, inhaling his fresh scent, while Inuyasha leaned against the tree trunk. Kagome's eyes fluttered close as she took a breath of fresh air. She opened her eyes once more and found Inuyasha looking at her with a curious expression.

"It feels good," she explained when she found him looking at her.

He snorted. "Women."

She smiled and giggled playfully. "You too were enjoying the air here a while ago!" she said, nudging him on his side.

"Feh, I wasn't!" he denied, attempting an annoyed expression.

The two of them fell silent for a minute before Kagome spoke up again. "Inuyasha?" she called out.

"Hmm?"

Kagome stared at the stars, which was in front of them shining brightly. "Once we complete the Shikon no Tama, what would you do with it?" she asked, unable to look at him. She always carried that question inside her, even though she was aware of the answer to it. Perhaps, she wanted to hear it directly from Inuyasha and she wanted…

She wanted, somehow, Inuyasha's wish on the Shikon no Tama to change… 

Inuyasha glanced at her quizzically before letting out a snort. "Of course, I want to become a full demon," he answered, like as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

Her heart twisted inside her. She could barely think that all of a sudden, she blurted out the words she had hoped to hear from him. "I thought you want to become a full human?"

Inuyasha looked at her, a sorrowful expression in his eyes. "That was after…" he started but he didn't finish his sentence.

_After he met Kikyou,_ she finished in her mind. She felt her insides withering slowly and her heart felt unusually cold. A strange sensation started to fill her whole body, beginning from her heart to every parts of her body. She tried to push all those gnawing emotions- emotions that pained her deeply although she didn't even know what they were. She felt dizzy, and then her lungs shouted for air, until she realized that she was holding her breath. "After you met Kikyou?" she finished for him, her own voice sounding strange to her ears. She was even surprised that she was able to muster those four words when inside, she was dying slowly.

Inuyasha was unable to look at her but his uneasy actions proved to her that she was right. She clenched her fists. She wasn't going to give either Inuyasha or Kikyou the satisfaction that it hurt her. She attempted a smile at Inuyasha and talked cheerfully, "It's better that way, ne? If you become a full demon, you wouldn't have to transform into a human every time the new moon comes."

_Although, I want you to wish on the Shikon to be a full human, not for Kikyou…_

_But for me…_

Inuyasha nodded slowly, and then he smiled at her weakly. She felt much worse when Inuyasha didn't even deny what she had said. She was on the verge of tears when she heard a low, evil laughter coming from the clearing's edge, among the shadows. A very familiar one.

She didn't have to utter the unexpected visitor's name to make Inuyasha aware of his presence. Inuyasha was already holding her by the arm tight as they both stood up, preparing themselves for the worst.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

He smiled at what he had just heard. His idiot for a half-brother turns into a defenseless and filthy human every new moon! He laughed softly but, fortunately for the two, they heard his laughter, and therefore they had been given much notice for their deaths.

At first, after he fought with that hanyou yesterday, he was annoyed that he wasn't able to continue torturing his brother until those tortures would lead him to his death. He wasn't even able to get the Tetsusaiga from his moronic brother. Rin had just had to come along at the worst possible time.

He let his hanyou brother live for until the next evening- meaning today. Yesterday, when he left Inuyasha's little group, he scolded Jaken with a much-needed kick on his ass for letting Rin escape him. He had told him to watch Rin while he confronted Inuyasha's little group but, unfortunately, Jaken had lost his patience with Rin's cheerfulness. He was more than aware that Jaken, like him, despised humans and they both have the same view for humans that they are filthy, pathetic creatures that doesn't deserve to live and breathe the same kind of air as they do. Therefore Jaken doesn't hold a great liking to Rin, most unfortunate for Jaken, of course.

He didn't know why he saved Rin and kept her with him, protecting her almost in a way that a father would. Perhaps, he thought, when he saw the innocence in Rin's eyes when she first approached him, he saw himself in her when he was still a pup. He wasn't exactly born as the same person he was now. He underwent childhood and the innocence that came with it, like anybody else.

So when he saw Rin, he couldn't help himself but be reminded of his bitter childhood and how the innocence in him was forced to disappear, and was ripped off from him even though he was still a mere child. 

He could still recall who took the innocence away from him and who the cause was. It was Inuyasha's bitch of a mother's fault. She just had to come in his life, the moment his mother passed away right before his eyes. And to think Inuyasha's mother thought that he would accept her. How wrong she was! And she had came to realize that fact soon enough. The moment he laid his eyes on her, she felt the hatred in him for her, and so she was forced to accept it. If only his father wasn't present, he would have killed Inuyasha's mother right there and then.

So when he first saw Rin and recognized the innocence that Rin had in her, he felt the need to protect that innocence at all costs. He didn't want Rin to experience what he had experienced, his bitter childhood. 

What he experienced was not a very pleasant memory to him. He experienced the death of his mother when he was still a pup. He mourned of course although he didn't shed a tear. He pained inside but he kept himself strong. Her mother once told him that death was a normal thing and that he should accept it since it would come to everyone, sooner or later. However, when his father brought a human woman with him as his mate, anger surged in him, and he suddenly felt like he was slapped on the face. At his age, he experienced the harsh realities and painful experiences that life provided for every existing creature. His original view of life as a bed of roses disappeared in a flash, along with the innocence in him. Hatred for human started to dominate his being causing him to be the cold, ruthless, and powerful youkai he was now.

Of course, with the exception of Rin. Rin reminded him too much of his childhood, her innocence, gaiety, cheerfulness, to name a few. _I wonder if I, Sesshoumaru, have a soft spot for humans,_ he thought. Then, he remembered another incident, proving that thought wrong, much to his relief. He loved Rin, though he hated to admit that, because she didn't fear him, the cheerfulness, and the innocence that came along. 

He stepped out of the shadows when he saw that the hanyou bastard had already noticed his presence. He smiled, making his face look crueler. 

"What are you doing here, you bastard?" Inuyasha yelled, trying to cover the wench with his body. Sesshoumaru smiled, amused at the useless attempt.

"And a good evening to you too, my dear hanyou brother," he said sarcastically, stepping forward so that the stars also shone brightly at him. "Correction, my human brother," he added, smirking.

Inuyasha growled. "What do you want?"

"Your head, of course," he replied, coldly. "And the Tetsusaiga."

He smirked again, and then, he walked forward, near the tree. "It's just too bad that you turn into a human every new moon, unlike I, Sesshoumaru."

He watched his half brother's fists clenched, in glee. "How long have you been there?" Inuyasha yelled angrily.

"Long enough to hear what you've been talking with that wench," he replied coolly. "Still hanging out with that Shard Detector so you could become a full youkai? I, Sesshoumaru, couldn't see now your point," he said coldly. Then he smirked. "Because you're now going to die!" he yelled, his voice dripping with venom, as he jumped towards Inuyasha's direction, his right hand flexed, aiming for Inuyasha's neck.

All of a sudden, when he was an inch away, he heard Inuyasha's woman yell.

"Inuyasha, osuwari!!" she screamed.

Inuyasha fell down so abruptly, head first, that he wasn't able to adjust his attack. Sesshoumaru missed Inuyasha's head, his claws only cutting a few strands of his black hair. 

He heard Inuyasha yell, cursing, but he didn't care to whom it was addressed. He smirked as the attack originally for his brother went straight to the miko, aimed at her neck.


	2. Nowhere To Go

Title: Just to Be Who I Am

Author: Deiah

Genre: Romance/Action/Adventure/Mystery

Rating: PG-13

Summary: [SessKag] 'A person's life depends on the life of others.' In Sesshoumaru's case this isn't true, but an incident happens that changes everything. Everyone's affected-- A life depends on a pendant's survival, Kagome's existence hanging, Inuyasha's sanity up by a thread, lots of conspiracies, Urasue's involvement, new demons, life pendants, and a hell lot of adventures and experiences for all of them!

Chapter 2: Nowhere to Go

"You bitch!!!" Inuyasha yelled, very angry with Kagome because she 'sat' him that he failed to realize that she just saved him and that Sesshoumaru's claws were about to reach her neck. He stood up, brushing off the dirt on his red kimono. "That's the second time you did that!" he yelled without looking at her.

Kagome barely heard him as she narrowly avoided Sesshoumaru's attack that was supposed to be for Inuyasha. The wind whistled under her ears as she glanced at Sesshoumaru's form, horrified. _This would be the end_, she thought as fear started to rise inside her. She teetered dangerously on the tree branch, her body becoming outbalanced the moment she avoided Sesshoumaru's attack. 

Kagome had never felt the feeling that she was feeling now in her entire life. The once peaceful atmosphere that the tree gave off disappeared, only to be replaced by a dangerous and tense atmosphere. She felt the air around her, and then, she glanced down. However, the moment she glanced down, she closed her eyes quickly, terrified. She was getting dizzy because of how high she was above the ground. She didn't realize earlier that she was on the highest tree branch. If she falls, she would surely get her bones broken.

When she opened her eyes, she saw Sesshoumaru frowning probably because his attack missed Inuyasha and, at the same time, her. However, he also recovered from the shock that the event brought about as he stood on the tree branch, the same spot where Inuyasha formerly stood by, to stare at her. Under her, she heard Inuyasha cursing, as he too realized the danger she was in.

"Shit!" Inuyasha swore angrily. He started to draw the Tetsusaiga until a voice stopped him.

"You're wasting your time, human," Sesshoumaru said to Inuyasha though he was still looking at Kagome. "Have it ever occur to your puny brain that you cannot use the Tetsusaiga, considering your form?"

Kagome's body started to tremble. She wasn't so sure if it was because of Sesshoumaru's presence or if it was from the fear of falling down. With a sickening feeling that started to form in her stomach, she had a clue that it was both. 

She glanced at Inuyasha, all hopes of being rescued flying out of her head. Of all the things to happen! Sesshoumaru could have come any other day, why did he have to show up now? If Sesshoumaru was going to kill them, at least one of them had to survive. Her eyes darted up and down, from Inuyasha to Sesshoumaru, and it was pretty obvious to her that Inuyasha had a higher chance of escaping. 

She tried to call out Inuyasha and tell him to escape when she felt that she couldn't use her voice properly. She tried again but she felt that her words were lodged in her throat. She clenched her fists in frustration. _Inuyasha, run,_ her mind screamed. However, she knew that even though she would be given the chance to tell Inuyasha that, he wouldn't run and leave her. She knew Inuyasha too well than that.

She stared at Sesshoumaru, her facial features showing both fear and determination. If she was going to die, she wouldn't die helpless and begging for mercy. She wouldn't let him destroy her will.

"You're brave, wench," Sesshoumaru remarked acidly. "Brave but a fool. I, Sesshoumaru, wouldn't spare your life this time."

She stepped back, panic rising in her but she tried to keep herself look as composed as possible. Beneath her, she heard Inuyasha yelling at her brother to fight him and not her.

Sesshoumaru merely smirked in reply. "With a human like you? You wouldn't even be able to survive for one minute."

"Sesshoumaru!" Inuyasha yelled. "I don't give a damn, you bastard! You want the Tetsusaiga, right? Then fight me, not her!" 

A light breeze blew Sesshoumaru's hair away from his face. She could feel the chilly breeze sweeping pass her clothes and hair, as she waited for the blow. She glanced around, memories of the time she spent here replaying in her head. Unconsciously, she glanced at the direction where Sango, Miroku, Kirara, and Shippou would be. _I'm sorry, guys. At least you have the shards with you._

Sesshoumaru slowly advanced towards her, as he withdrew the Toujikiin from its sheath. He had a look of pure evil on his face as he savored the fear on her face.

She tried to suppress the emotions running inside her. She could hear Inuyasha screaming her name and Sesshoumaru's but she couldn't understand any of what he was saying. Her surrounding was like a blur to her. She could even barely distinguish the trees from the sky! There was no escape for her this time. No person to rescue her. 

Her heart hammered against her chest along with her heavy breathing. She tried to stop the wave of panic crashing unto her but she couldn't. She was too stunned to move or to react. She couldn't believe that her life would end here. Her short, sweet life. 

Just then, she recalled the corny books she had read about death. She would often criticize how corny the person was, or rather the author. The person would see flashbacks about her life. She thought it wasn't possible but now… in her current situation… she saw flashbacks. 

_Mom…_

_Souta…_

She gulped at the last thought.

_Inuyasha…_

Quietly, she closed her eyes as she waited for the final blow.

Hearing only the hammer of her heart, she wondered why death or even pain wasn't still coming to her. She opened her eyes, and then she glanced at Sesshoumaru, wondering why he wasn't still killing her until she realized that he was still savoring the fear on her face. 

"There's no person to rescue you now, wench," Sesshoumaru stated softly.

"Sadistic!" she spat angrily. Her eyes suddenly widened. Why on earth did she have to tell him that?

 He chuckled in response. "I know," he replied, the smile on his face turning into a smirk before finally lunging forward to give the final blow.

_There's no person to rescue you now, wench,_ his words repeated in her mind. _He's right,_ she thought. She watched Sesshoumaru who had now lunged forward her that in one blink he was already there in front of her, his face inches away from her. In slow motion, she saw his sword drawing an arc until it was about to reach her neck when something snapped inside her. 

"No person to rescue me, except MYSELF!!" she yelled. Her mind also screamed those words. She immediately jumped backwards. Her skirt and the rest of her clothes made flapping sounds against the wind as she fell. Suddenly, she felt only the air around her. She could hear the wind passing her body. It was a strange sensation that made her stomach feel queasy. Her soul felt like it was rushing away from her body as she waited to reach the ground.

She glanced at Sesshoumaru's bored face, watching her fall, and then to the ground below. This would break her leg for sure. Unless… 

Somebody would catch her…

"Inuyasha!" she yelled as she glanced at him, a feeling of hope rising inside her. But the sight of Inuyasha made her hopes of surviving the fall without having broken legs disappear.

He was staring at her lower body, dumbfounded. Confused, she stared at her own body, and then she freaked. 

"Inuyasha, HENTAI!!!!!!!" she yelled as she tried to force her skirt down. That made Inuyasha snap out of his staring.

"FEH!!!"

He ran towards the spot where she would most likely fall, hoping to catch her. He stopped under her, waiting, his arms outstretched. However, he didn't close his fingers around her shoulders right on. Her right foot landed first, causing her right ankle to receive an impact of the fall. Pain shot up from her ankle to her whole body. She would have collapsed right there and then but, thankfully, she felt his fingers closing on each of her shoulder. 

She sighed with relief when Inuyasha caught her even though he was a bit late. Then, she felt the pain again in her right ankle. Horrified, she glanced at it as realization dawned to her.

 _A sprained ankle!_

When Inuyasha released his hold on her shoulders, she felt her right ankle collapsed. She brought out her hands to support herself as she fell down to the ground, on all fours.

"Kagome!" Inuyasha exclaimed worriedly. He kneeled down beside her.

She looked up and saw Sesshoumaru landing neatly a few meters away from her. Sesshoumaru smirked at her when he saw her looking at him. 

"Worthless wench," Sesshoumaru said, disgust in his tone obvious.

Clenching her fists, she glanced at Inuyasha and said between her gritted teeth, "Inuyasha, run."

"Sesshoumaru!" Inuyasha yelled angrily, ignoring what Kagome had just said. He positioned himself between Kagome and his brother. 

Sesshoumaru smirked. "What are you going to do, Inuyasha? You can't even wield the Tetsusaiga."

Inuyasha clenched his fists. He knew that his brother was right. 

Kagome tried to stand up, as she placed most of her body's weight on her left foot. "I sprained my ankle," she said, between breaths. "Look, I can't run. Just go and leave now, please. You can't do anything in your state."

Sesshoumaru laughed. "Why not do what your woman says?"

Inuyasha glanced at Sesshoumaru and then back to Kagome. He clenched his fists, his face having traces of anger and frustration and then, Inuyasha's face was set with determination. 

Kagome blinked at what she witnessed but before she could speak another word, Inuyasha carried her over his back, and then he ran, full speed, going north, away from Sesshoumaru and their companions. 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

He gritted his teeth as leaves of different kinds of trees slapped his face. He was running full speed, his eyes on the path ahead of them.

His feet, if only it had a mouth, would scream at him for overusing that part of his body. Already, he could feel scratches on it, an unlikely thing to happen if he was only in his hanyou form. 

He knew that it was useless to run. Even Kagome would probably be aware of it but in their condition, they had no other alternatives. They have to run and wish for a miracle to happen. And obviously, his half brother was playing with them. He knew that he could kill them on the spot. His brother could easily catch up with them without even breaking a sweat.

 _I guess he wanted to enjoy the sight of me running away from him_… 

He gritted his teeth at the revolting thought.

He could feel his lungs burning as it screamed for oxygen. His legs ached and his arms and back hurt him for carrying Kagome. He grunted to show his discomfort. He was never aware that Kagome was so heavy!

Kagome, as if reading his thoughts, glared at him. She was about to open her mouth when they heard a laughter that made Kagome close her mouth.

"Sesshoumaru!" Kagome whispered.

"Well, what do you expect?" Inuyasha snapped. His nerves were on the edge because of the way things were turning. Sesshoumaru defeated him, and then he shows up when he was most vulnerable, and on top of it, Kagome was so heavy that he almost couldn't bear her weight!

"He's catching up!" Kagome said. He was about to snap back for being an idiot not to expect it when she continued speaking. "I'm sorry for being a burden to you, Inuyasha."

He grunted as he tried to quicken up his pace. The trees, as he ran, were a blur to him. The ground was cool to his already worn feet. He gasped for air as he removed his gaze on the path ahead of them to glance at Kagome for a second. "What have you been doing this days, Kagome? You're getting heavy!!"

Kagome fumed. "I am not!"

"It's funny that the two of you could still manage to argue with each other when you know that I, Sesshoumaru, could kill you easily without having to put up with this silly chase," a voice behind them said.

His grip on Kagome's thigh tightened. He heard Kagome yelped in pain but it was all he could do to stop her from falling. 

"Oh yeah?" he said, his words having a breathy quality. "Then why aren't we on the ground and dead?" he asked.

Judging by his tone, Inuyasha could tell that Sesshoumaru was amused. "Tired, Inuyasha?"

He snorted. "Of course not!"

"Really now," Sesshoumaru's voice said, his voice louder. It was then that Inuyasha realized that Sesshoumaru was just beside them! Sesshoumaru smirked as he ran beside him.

"You really know where to place your face where it's least wanted, Sesshoumaru," Kagome snapped, annoyance obvious in her tone. Sesshoumaru merely raised an eyebrow at her.

Inuyasha glanced at Kagome alarm. _She's going to get killed that way!_ Hoping to get Sesshoumaru's attention away from Kagome, he spoke up, "What's with you today? Why are you putting up with this chase? You can kill us right now."

Sesshoumaru merely smirked at them. Then, he disappeared as he jumped backwards. "Because I'm enjoying this chase," he stated cruelly. "Go and run, Inuyasha. The moment I get tired of this chase, I'll finish you off and that girl. Starting from that wench, of course."

He cursed. There was no way of escaping Sesshoumaru. He could hear the blood pounding in his head as he continued to run. No doubt about it, the lack of air from running was already making him feel dizzy. He continued running until he could see the edge of the forest. 

"Are you ready to die, Inuyasha?" a sadistic voice said behind them. "I'm getting quite tired of this chase. I think I would like to see the two of you shed your blood now."

His whole body turned cold. _Kagome!_

"Let's see," Sesshoumaru said in an amused tone. "How about the wench with you?"

He felt Kagome moving on his back. Then, he felt her eyes on him. Suddenly, he felt the Tetsusaiga being removed from his waist. He heard Sesshoumaru growling, as he seemed to have transformed into his true form.

He glanced back and what he saw confirmed his fears. Then, he remembered Kagome.

"Hey! What are you doing?" He glanced shortly at Kagome, and then, he glanced at the path ahead of him. "Shit!" he cursed when he saw that the forest's edge was a cliff. He stopped running and faced Sesshoumaru, his grip on Kagome loosening. However he wasn't able to stop Kagome who had kicked him with her left foot. He immediately lurched forward the bushes.

He stood up quickly to see, in slow motion, Kagome suspended in the air with the Tetsusaiga on her arms. She smiled at him and said, "I'm sorry Inuyasha. This is the only way I could save you." He watched in horror as his brother lunged at Kagome and the Tetsusaiga.

He wasn't going to let his brother kill Kagome and get the Tetsusaiga. But as he was about to step forward, he felt an incredible force forcing him down to the ground. _Shit! She _sat _me!!! Of all the times!!_

He heard Sesshoumaru growling, and, if he didn't know any better, he thought that he heard a little girl's voice screaming. He tried to stand up but he couldn't. Suddenly, he felt as if he was floating on air. His surroundings turned into mere hazy figures as the sensation tried to take over him. His worries, fears, and anger started to fade as he gave way to the strange sensation he was feeling.

Then, he didn't know if it was from sheer exhaustion or the strange sensation, he fainted and fell asleep.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

As she felt her body suspended in the air, she said, "I'm sorry Inuyasha. This is the only way I could save you." Then, she smiled at Inuyasha who was behind the bushes. She observed the expressions flitting on his face and was surprised to find concern there. Then, she heard low growling. _Sesshoumaru_, she realized.

She looked at the large dog-like creature in front of her. She clutched the Tetsusaiga, hoping that he would take the bait. She watched Sesshoumaru lunging after her. Then, she knew Inuyasha would try to save her. However, she wouldn't allow that. "Osuwari," she whispered, a small smile forming on her lips.

Closing her eyes, she waited for Inuyasha's brother to kill her. She felt the wind rushing pass her, and then, she wasn't so sure, she heard a little girl's voice screaming. She tried to open her eyes but she found them closed shut.

A strange floating sensation started to take over her body. She felt giddy all of a sudden, her mind went totally blank, and, at the same time, every thought flew out of her mind. She was about to succumb to the deep sleep her mind readily offered her when a voice made her stir a little.

_Kagome,_ a voice that sounds strangely like her own said. She was about to open her eyes when the sensation urged her to rest and sleep. She barely felt her body as she fell into the icy water with a splash.


	3. Who Is She?

Title: Just to Be Who I Am

Author: Deiah

Genre: Romance/Action/Adventure/Mystery

Rating: PG-13

Summary: [SessKag] 'A person's life depends on the life of others.' In Sesshoumaru's case this isn't true, but an incident happens that changes everything. Everyone's affected-- A life depends on a pendant's survival, Kagome's existence hanging, Inuyasha's sanity up by a thread, lots of conspiracies, Urasue's involvement, new demons, life pendants, and a hell lot of adventures and experiences for all of them!

**MAJOR WARNING: **To grammar and spelling perfectionist out there, this fic is unedited (I'm lazy for the final editing. I posted it now because exams are coming and I probably won't have time to edit this until next month.). Now, let's just pretend this is a game. Spot the errors! (If there are any!) And I would happily give you a warm hug! This would also be a test for me if I do the grammar much better than I used to. And there may also (I dunno, I'm playing safe) inconsistencies. Please tell me. I would change it. I'm too tired to proofread this, okay?

**Chapter 3: Who Is She?**

When he heard that voice, his heart skipped a beat in shock and he stopped his attack in midair. He cursed silently. _Rin!_ His eyes darted from the wench, who was falling down at an incredible speed, and then to Rin, who was screaming her head off. At that moment, he wanted to grind Jaken for letting her wander away from his sight. 

Before he had left them to investigate the strange scent that oddly resembled his brother's scent, he told Jaken _not_ to let Rin out of his sight as well as wander around outside their campsite. He had also warned him that he would get the corresponding punishment if Rin would ever see him torturing either a human, a youkai, or even a hanyou because, as much as possible, he wanted Rin _not_ to see violence and the like. But of course, with the Lord of the Western Lands with her, it was almost impossible for that to happen. Almost but not quite.

As far as his concern for the human child goes, he also didn't want her to get into trouble like encountering another youkai who would want her dead. At the same time, he didn't want to risk any chances. Rin might wander _too_ far, and may end up meeting another human who could give her much love and care than he do.

Suddenly, he felt a sharp pang in his heart, which he quickly ignored. Then, as quickly as possible, he changed back to his original form, hiding away from Rin's sight in the process. He stepped behind a tree, thinking about the different emotions that appeared on Rin's face at seeing him.

He tried to recall what were those emotions playing on her face in his mind. 

Fear.

There was fear in Rin's eyes. That was most dominant on her face. For a moment, he then wondered why did she feel fear. He knew that she was a brave little girl, so how come that Rin screamed out of fear? 

He was so deep in thought that he wasn't able to realize quickly that the atmosphere of his environment was slowly changing. His body felt light all of a sudden as every worry in his mind slowly disappeared. Soon, his question about Rin's expression flew out of his mind. His mind cleared as contentment started to take over. 

Suddenly, he frowned as he felt the sensation slowly taking over his body and mind. He had a strange feeling about this sensation although he couldn't pinpoint what was wrong. He clutched the tree bark tightly behind him, drawing chips of wood in the process as he wondered what was happening. He tried to reach out to his surroundings, detecting every scent or presence of youkai around when it hit him.

His eyes widened with shock. 

He couldn't smell any living creatures within the vicinity, approximately a radius of fifteen meters. If a blind youkai was in his position, he would tell that there were no living creatures near him. But, as he wasn't blind, he knew that his brother was around, near him, as well as his brother's wench. 

He tried to sniff out the familiar scent of his half brother but to no avail. He even started to try sniffing out different scents of the creatures that were near him but it was useless. He couldn't even smell the flowers and trees around him. All the foliages he could smell were outside the circumference of ninety-four square units. 

Suddenly, he caught a scent of Rin, whom he knew was about thirty meters away from him. He frowned.

_This is impossible,_ he thought, frustrated. _I'm sure that I certainly haven't lost my sense of smell. But why is it that I can't smell anything near me? Or detect that bastard?_

 If he didn't know any better, he would probably say that the two of them vanished into thin air…

Like as if they never even…

Existed…

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

_Kagome_…

She stirred up a little at hearing somebody calling her name—a voice that sounds like hers. She tried to move her hands but, unfortunately, she couldn't. Her arms felt so heavy that she could swear that heavy iron balls were tied around her wrists, bringing her hands down. It sagged behind her as she sank lower, deeper until she would reach the bottom.

_Kagome… open your eyes…_

She groaned, exhaustion on her part evident. Her body refused to follow, as it seemed to have gotten used to the slumber that her mind readily offered her. She was dimly aware of her surroundings as she tried once more to move and open her eyes; however, her eyes refused to open and her body felt so heavy. She was about to give up when the voice suddenly spoke to her again.

_Kagome… open your GODDAMN eyes!!!_

The voice she had just heard was different from the first. It didn't sound like hers. But it sounded strangely familiar and so, at hearing the harsh voice calling her, she felt the drowsiness and the heaviness of her body slowly being lifted out of her system, making her more aware of her surroundings. 

She lifted her hand and was surprised at what she felt. As her hand moved, her fingers felt like it moved against something soft, light, and cool. She moved her fingers again, wanting to recognize what she was feeling.

_The feeling that my body feels reminds me of something_, she thought. She closed her eyes tightly, wanting to concentrate in recalling what it was. 

_Water!!!_

Her eyes abruptly shot open with that realization.

_I'm under water!!!_

Sure enough, she saw the murky water surrounding her. Without thinking, she gasped. She regretted doing so because, instantly, water rushed to her mouth. She tried to close her mouth but she ended up choking and gagging. 

She flailed her arms around her as she tried to swim upwards. However, pain shot up to her body the moment she tried to swim, making her regret doing so.

_My ankle,_ she thought sorrowfully. She stopped flailing her arms and her body became still again.

Unconsciously, she closed her eyes. Tears slowly came out of her eyes, instantly becoming one with the chilly water around her. Her mind had already turned hazy, and she could tell that she was on the verge of fainting.

Tears continued to come out of her eyes more freely. But she wasn't going to give up that easily. Once more, she tried to swim upwards, ignoring the excruciating pain that came from her ankle.

 With each stroke, she needed a tremendous effort from her. She tried to concentrate her mind on the strokes she was doing, ignoring the chilly water that was making her legs feel numb.

She saw the water around her lightening, and at that moment, she knew that she was near the surface. _Kagome, bear with it, _she told herself. _Bear with the pain; you're near the surface. Bear with the pain!_

Her head surfaced as she gave a loud gasp. Fresh oxygen came to her lungs. She rejoiced at the feel of fresh air and then, she glanced around. She saw the cliff where she had came from and a riverside on her right. 

Then, what she saw made her blink in surprise.

She saw a faint figure of a little girl with black hair. Although the riverside was far away as well as the person, she had no doubts that that girl was Sesshoumaru's.

Shaking her head of those thoughts, she told herself that she needed to get to the riverside now since she didn't know how long would she be able to stand the pain from her ankle.

Then, she suddenly remembered an important thing. The Tetsusaiga wasn't with her!

Panicked, she looked around. _Oh, no, _she thought. _Don't tell me I just lost that sword! Inuyasha would kill me!_

Gritting her teeth, she dived underwater. She tried to look for the sword; however, as she did another stroke, her legs gave in. Her legs felt numb and heavy, and the icy water wasn't helping her at all. She willed herself to move her legs but her body refused to follow.  

She gasped in surprise, causing water to rush in again to her mouth. She mentally berated herself for doing so. Once was enough, twice was too much. How stupid could she get for opening her mouth underwater!

A wave of panic had started to build inside her. Unconsciously, her hand flew to her mouth as she choked. Usually, she was calm underwater, and she also liked the safe and contented feeling it brought to her but, this time, it was different. She was panicking; her mind was already in disarray. Her lungs burned and pained her as it screamed for oxygen.

When she thought that all was lost, she stopped her mind and body from struggling. She let herself sink when she heard the second voice calling her again.

_Kagome…_

Abruptly, she opened her eyes. With the state her mind was in, the figure she saw in front of her was a bit hazy but, despite that fact, she was still able to recognize who the person was.

_Kikyou?!?_

She wasn't so sure if she was really Kikyou but one thing was for sure. She knew that the person she saw was very much alike with…

Herself.

And with that, she fainted. fish

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"He's here!" a tiny boy's voice exclaimed in relief.

He stirred up a little at hearing that voice; however, he didn't completely move from his spot. He vaguely heard what he said as it only registered to his ears as a fuzzy and muffled voice. He remained lying on the ground, his hair splayed all over his face. 

"What do you think happened to him?" another asked.

"Is he alright?" he heard the female voice say. At that exact point, he felt the air around him becoming slightly warm. He guessed that those persons speaking were gathered around him, watching him. He wanted to snap at them for disturbing him, for making the air hot and uncomfortable; however, much as he wanted to, he couldn't. His body refused to follow him, as it seemed to have gotten use to the comfortable position it was in. 

He was dimly aware of what was happening around him, as his mind seemed to focus not on the reality around him. His consciousness was in between reality and the deep sleep he was in, making him only half aware of what was happening.

"Inuyasha?" the girl called out. She held him by his shoulders, shaking him slightly to wake him up. "Inuyasha?"

Even though the shaking was annoying, his senses conveniently ignored her. He was so contented with the position he was in. His head rested on his left arm with his cheek slightly touching the cool, bare ground. His knees were huddled close to his stomach with his right hand closed to a fist near his face. To a casual observer, he must have looked like an innocent little boy, of course, with the exception of the dog-ears, which gave away the fact that he was a hanyou.

"Inuyasha!" the voice said exasperated. He was vaguely aware of their calling, and it seemed that they, too, were aware of that fact. 

Slowly, he felt his left hand being lifted. Then, he felt his body being gradually dragged as the grip on his wrist tightened. He grunted in displeasure as he felt his raw cheek grazing the ground. He caught a scent of the grass on the ground as they slowly dragged him. 

When a small stick hit him in his nose, he sneezed lightly, batting the stick away from his face with his free hand. Instantly, he felt the cloudy state of his mind going away as his consciousness slowly stepped outside towards reality. Groaning slightly, he slowly opened his eyes.

The moment his eyes opened, his senses seemed to have finally notice the pleasant sounds and views of nature. The environment around him was calm and peaceful as birds sang their usual songs around the trees. Little critters hopped and played around happily, seemingly thrilled at the new morning that had just arrived. The forest was looking mightily beautiful at that time with the sun just rising in the east, illuminating the rest of his features. 

His eyes closed at the feel of the warm sunlight touching his cheek and the rest of his face, at the same time, the person stopped dragging him. He sneaked a peek at his surroundings, his eyes half-closed. When his eyes got used to the bright light, he opened his eyes fully.

"Where's Kagome?" a boy's voice asked worriedly.

_Kagome…_

Fragments of his memory about what happened last night flew to his mind. He vaguely remembered the conversation between him and Kagome, and then, his brother's appearance. The worst events that took placed last night were more clearly recalled in his mind than the nice ones. Already, flashbacks on how his brother played with him were being replayed in his mind. 

"Inuyasha," Shippou called, his voice getting higher. "Where is Kagome?"

He didn't want to recall how he had failed to rescue Kagome and so, he ignored the one who had spoken as he tried to concentrate on the view in front of him. He used his hands to support himself as he stood up, his eyes never leaving the scene in front of him. 

A magnificent sight greeted his face. For a second, he glanced down, taking to note the bare ground his foot was stepping on that lead to the edge of the cliff. He walked slowly forward until he was barely an inch away from falling.

The skies were so blue as birds of different kinds flew over it. He heard them chirping happily as they headed towards their destination.

The sun hit his eyes again and so he held his hand up to shield his eyes from the sunlight. The warm glow of the sun felt good to his skin as he let his eyes glance around.

"She's safe, right?" he said, his voice trembling.

He remained unresponsive although, inwardly, he wanted to agree. He wanted to agree with Shippou that she's okay. He wanted to convince himself that she's fine; however, his memory didn't agree with that thought.

A light, cool breeze ruffled his long silvery hair as he continued observing his surroundings. He glanced down, looking at the land opposite them. There was a small clearing across there, just beside the river that was in between the cliff he was standing on and the clearing across.

His heart ached, as suppressed memories about Kagome broke free from his mind. He closed his eyes, trying to find her familiar scent. When he wasn't able to find her scent, he clenched his fists in anger and frustration. The kitsune, who must have sensed that he had tried to find Kagome's scent and failed, suddenly spoke up.

"She's still alive! Come on! What do you think the three of you are doing?" Shippou cried out, his voice higher than the usual. "This is not the time to admire nature! Not when Kagome is still missing!!!"

He whirled around to face Shippou, his fists clenched. He looked at Sango and then at Miroku who were all looking at him inquisitively. He glanced at their eyes, and then, he glanced away when he saw the worried look in their eyes. He wanted to snap at them to stop them from staring but his mind was still in a cloudy state, probably from the shock of not finding Kagome's scent; hence, he couldn't really think properly or even act like his usual self.

However, he made a mistake when his gaze landed on Shippou. Shippou looked at him with different kinds of emotions playing on his face, each disappearing as quickly as it appeared. He looked away.

Just then, Shippou lunged forward and grabbed him in the front of his red kimono, his hand clutching the piece of cloth as his body hung in air. "Where's Kagome?" he demanded, looking so near to tears. "You were with her, Inuyasha. Where is she?"

He stared past Shippou as if not seeing him properly. _Kagome,_ he thought sorrowfully. He clenched his fists.

"She is…" He clenched his fists tighter until he could almost draw blood. "She is…" he started once more; however, he couldn't finish his sentence.

"Where is she, Inuyasha?" Shippou asked, getting hysterical by the minute. His silence probably didn't help Shippou to stay calm.

Shippou buried his face on his kimono as tears leaked out of his eyes. He pounded his fists on his chest as he looked down.

Unconsciously, he tried to detect Kagome's scent once more. He tried to find her scent from the others that were detected by his sensitive nose, tuning out those who weren't Kagome's. He even detected his half brother's scent but he didn't care since he knew that Sesshoumaru was far away from him, considering that his scent was barely noticeable. 

Just then, when he was almost near in giving up, a faint, calming scent of the ocean with a tinge of lavender hit his nose. Like Sesshoumaru's scent, it was barely there but he recognized it instantly.

His head shot up, the expression in his face changing from remorse and sorrow to elation and excitement.

"She's alive," he stated, determination and relief burning in his eyes.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"Rin is faster than Jaken-sama!" Rin exclaimed, laughing happily.

"Like as if I care," Jaken muttered, who was on his left. Sesshoumaru gave him a warning glance, and immediately, he mumbled a low apology.

 Rin failed to hear what Jaken said, as she had already went ahead of Jaken and Sesshoumaru, running around in circles. The tips of the grasses touched her feet as she ran, the wind caressing her black hair, her cheeks redder than the usual. 

"Rin," Sesshoumaru said with a warning tone to it. "Stopped running ahead of us."

Rin stopped running to look at him. She nodded at him, her eyes bright. "Hai!" she chirped gaily. Then, she glanced at the path ahead of her. "Come on, Sesshoumaru-sama! Hurry up!"

He sighed and quickened up his pace. He didn't have the heart to crush the human child's feelings, seeing her eyes shining brightly at him.

Rin waved continuously at them for them to follow her quickly. She glanced at the path in front of her. Then, she stopped waving when she saw patches of white flowers on the ground ahead of them. 

Her eyes shone brightly. "Kawaii!" she squealed, obviously glad at seeing flowers on their way back to the castle. She was about to run towards the patches of white flowers when Sesshoumaru noticed what Rin was about to do.

"Rin," he called out, giving her a pointed look.

She glanced at him and pouted. "Rin is just going to pick out the beautiful, white flowers over there." She pointed at the patches of flowers looking at him. "It reminds me of Sesshoumaru-sama's beautiful hair." Then, she stopped talking, her face suddenly looking hesitant. "And… and the big white dog thing that Rin saw last night."

Jaken immediately looked at Sesshoumaru who was just walking beside him. Obviously, he knew that the white dog that Rin was referring to was his master. Confusion was clearly seen on his face along with dread and fear. He had let the human child get away from his sight and it resulted once more to another Rin-arriving-in-a-violent-scene event. 

Sesshoumaru looked at Jaken, his gaze even and cold. Jaken immediately averted his gaze. He knew what that glance meant. And for once, he was thankful for Rin's presence. Most probably, if Rin wasn't looking at them, the Lord of the Western Lands would have hit him on his cheek with the Toujikiin's sheath.

Then, Jaken felt Sesshoumaru's gaze leaving him to rest on the human child. He sighed with relief.

"What big white dog?" he asked, choosing his words carefully. He continued walking towards Rin.

Rin's eyes clouded as she let her gaze rest on the ground, and then she started to twirl strands of her hair with her finger. "Well… it was a really huge dog-like thingy." Then, she paused, hesitation clearly shown in her eyes. When she glanced up, she found Sesshoumaru listening intently, his gaze completely on her.

She smiled, all the negative feelings that were shown in her eyes flying away. "Jaken-sama said that Sesshoumaru-sama would never be concerned with a human child." Then, she pouted as she let her gaze traveled on him to Jaken. "Is Sesshoumaru-sama concern with what happened to Rin?" she asked seriously. 

He glanced at Jaken for a split second, and then he looked at Rin again. "Of course. Jaken was just kidding when he told you that. Weren't you, Jaken?" he asked, this time glancing at Jaken.

"Yes," Jaken mumbled quickly, unable to meet Sesshoumaru's eyes.

He glanced back at Rin. "See?"

Rin's eyes brightened as she returned to her bubbly self. "Well, when I saw the dog, I got fascinated at first. Then when the dog looked at me, I sort of remembered the…" She frowned. "The wolves."

He nodded and didn't press for any more details. He didn't want her to remember what happened to her before he revived her. When he reached her, he gave her a pat on the head and nodded at her, signaling that it was okay for her to pick the flowers.

Then, he turned to Jaken. Without a blink, he took the Toukijiin sheath from his waist, and hit Jaken with the end of the sheath that sent Jaken flying backwards, meters behind him. 

"That's for your stupidity," he said coldly, looking back at Rin. Behind him, he heard Jaken mumbling a thousand apologies while he ran back to his side.

He contented himself by watching Rin who was picking the flowers, humming happily. Then he started to wonder why human children were fond of such small things; however, he didn't have the chance to wonder further. The same sensation that he felt last night slowly rose in the air. Immediately, his youkai senses were only able to trace scents that were far from them. 

Not giving up easily, he tried to find Rin's scent in the air; however, though Rin was just a few feet away from him, he still couldn't trace her scent. 

When Jaken had reached his side, he spoke up. "Sesshoumaru-sama," Jaken began, his voice with a slightly suspicious tone to it. "I can't smell anything near me. There's something—"

"Keep quiet," he told him, not bothering to look at him. His glance darted from one side to the other. "You felt it also, huh, be alert, Jaken." Then, he glanced at Rin. In a blink, he disappeared and showed up on Rin's side. 

Rin glanced up from what she was doing. "Sesshoumaru-sama?" she inquired.

He touched her shoulder and glanced at her swiftly to assure her that everything was fine. Then he kept her eyes open for the possible harm. He faced the direction where Rin's back was facing and kept a close guard on her, letting her pick flowers as long as she stayed beside him. With him close to her, she would be safe. Nothing would happen… but then…

The moment Rin let her gaze rest on the trees in front of her, she let out a piercing scream.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

He watched the scene beneath them as Kirara flew, crossing the river to land on the other side. The wind blew his silver hair and the sun blinded him a bit but he didn't care. Kagome, judging from her scent, was far away from them. He wouldn't be so sure if he would say that she was completely safe. He knew that there was a great chance of having tons of youkai roaming around.

"Kirara, just land here!" he yelled when they had just crossed the river and were now above the riverside. 

Sango looked at Inuyasha in surprise. "But we could just fly to where Kagome is," she pointed out.

"No," he said, looking determined as Kirara started to land on the ground below them. "If we use Kirara only to get there, we may be too late. I'll go find her. I'll be much faster."

Without waiting for their response, he stood up and glanced down. Then, when Kirara was a few meters away from the ground, he jumped down, his hair flowing behind him. His red kimono made flapping noises as he waited to land.

When he reached the ground, he quickly straightened up. Then, without so much of a backward glance, he ran, full speed, towards Kagome's scent. He saw the entrance of the forest looming over him as he neared it.

"Inuyasha!" he heard Shippou calling him frantically. "I'll be coming with you!" he yelled.

"Just follow me using Kirara, okay?" he yelled back. He continued running on full speed with a satisfied smirk on his face. Now, he was glad that he was on his hanyou form. He hated the feeling of being a human.

He concentrated on Kagome's scent as he ran, occasionally jumping over large boulders and trees. The wind whipped back his hair as he continued running, the feeling of it cool and refreshing to him. 

Trees and other foliages were a blur to him as he ran. He even barely heard the chirping of the birds or the rustling of the trees' leaves whenever the wind would touch it. All he could hear was the pounding of his heart and his heavy breathing. He just hoped that Kagome was safe wherever she was.

He felt his heartbeat increased when he sensed that Kagome was already near him. He quickened up his pace, hoping to find her as soon as possible.

Just then, when he had just landed on the highest tree branch, he heard a girl screaming. He stopped completely and listened to where the voice came from.

He frowned at the familiar voice. _I've heard that before_, he thought. Then, it hit him. It was the same voice who screamed the night before!

Judging by the scream, he could tell that the person was a girl. He surveyed his surroundings, trying to find out where that girl could be. A light breeze lightly blew his hair away from his face, his kimono making small flapping noises. His gaze swept on the thousands of trees in the vicinity. 

When he still didn't find any scent of a girl except Kagome's, he closed his eyes and listened to the smallest sounds around him. The small noises of the birds that were flying above him, the rustling of the trees' leaves, the whispers of the wind, and the light sounds of the rushing water from the river nearby.

The moment the thought of the river came to his mind, his eyes snapped open. Memories of Kagome falling to the river relived on his mind, reminding him the reason why he was there. 

He mentally slapped himself. He had no time finding a person who he didn't even know. He was here for Kagome after all.

He looked around again, sniffing the air, trying to find out where Kagome's scent came from. His eyes darted from one direction to the other as he looked for her. When his gaze landed on the river again, his senses, which were looking for the specific direction where Kagome was, went crazy, signaling him that she was on the riverside. 

He jumped down from the tree and headed towards the riverside where Kagome could be found.

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_"Where am I?" she screamed to no one in particular. Her eyes darted to one side to the other but to no avail. The place she was in was dark and it seemed to have no end. Everything around her was black and dark that she couldn't even see her hands in front of her._

_The darkness around her was so dreadful and so scary. It felt like she was in a place of nothingness, a place without a beginning and an end._

_She was gasping for air as she ran towards only-God-knows-where. All she knew was that she had to get out of this place as fast as she could. She had to get out of here. She must._

_"Sango!" she called out, getting desperate by the minute. She continued running even though her legs were already screaming. "Miroku! Shippou!" she tried again. _

_She clutched her uniform's ribbon tightly, wishing that everything was a nightmare. She closed her eyes when she felt the tears that were starting to form in her eyes._

_"Minna! Where is everybody?" she yelled in anguish. A sob escaped her lips as tears started to fall from her eyes. "Anyone! Please!"_

_Her body collapsed to the ground on all fours as the tears continued to escape her eyes, flowing down freely. She straightened up and went to a kneeling position, glancing at the dreary sight in front of her. Actually, there was no sight or scene for her to see. And that was what made it dreary. The nothingness in front of her._

_Hot tears continued falling down to her cheek. She stared at the nothingness in front of her, her eyes looking glassy-eyed. Then, from a kneeling position, she sat on her heels while she placed her hands on her lap. It was useless. Her energy was starting to run out as exhaustion finally decided to take over._

_"Inuyasha," she whispered, staring down at her lap. "Inuyasha, come quickly… Rescue me…"_

_She remained seated on her heels, her stare on her lap never wavering, her eyes never blinking. The salty liquid from her eyes still continued to flow down with her body shaking from frustration. Her breathing was haggard as she continued to weep silently. Then, slowly, as minutes went by, the darkness she was in started to feel comfortable and calming._

_"Kagome," a soft voice called out._

_She blinked, startled from hearing another voice speaking other than her own. She looked at the path ahead of her and was surprised when she saw a kimono that was colored white._

_She slowly let her gaze travel upwards to look at the face of the person. But when she reached the portion of the person's face, she wasn't able to see the person's face because of the hood over it._

_"Who are you?" she asked. The hooded person in front of her was near the size of a small child. On impulse, she started to reach out to the person in front of her when it spoke again._

_"Do you want to see your friends?"_

_At the mention of seeing her friends, her heart skipped a beat. She slowly withdrew her hand, thinking. She wanted to see her friends now more than anything else and so, she nodded slowly. The hooded person nodded back at her._

_"I could help you," she said._

_"Who are you exactly?" _

_"Does it matter, Kagome?"_

_She blinked in surprise. "Who are you and how did you know my name?"_

_The hooded person didn't answer and, instead, it reached out its hands to her. "Come with me. I could help you. Just come with me."_

_She hesitated, seeing the outstretched arm. She was about to refuse but then she found out that her hand had somehow reached out and clasped the hand of the stranger in front of her._

_Then, slowly, the hood of the person dropped back, revealing its face. She squinted at the face that was being slowly revealed around her. Soft, wavy black hair with brownish-blue eyes. She blinked, not sure of what she had seen. _

_It was herself. Only much younger._

_"Are you—" she started but her younger version cut her off._

_"I am…" she started out, her voice sounding so sweet to her ears at first, and then it slowly changed to a deep voice of a man. "… you, Kagome," it finished, its voice deep and rough._

_At the same time, when the person in front of her finished its sentence, her surroundings started to fade away. For a second, she thought that she was being brought back to reality, as different colors started to creep their way to the blackness. At first, it pleased her to see it but then, the colors started to mix and form grotesque shapes as if it was having a life of its own. _

_The colors turned it to large blobs. It was a terrifying sight to her as she glanced around in panic. The blobs made its way towards her, and the moment it touched her skin, she screamed in pain. The touch that the blobs made burned her skin causing her intense and piercing pain. _

_She tried to get away but then she found her hands still clasped on her younger self. She pleaded with her eyes and tried to grab her hand but her younger self didn't budge. She screamed again as she felt the blobs crawling up her skin._

_Then, it was over. All of a sudden, everything turned back to normal. She found her hand clutching thin air as she stood up. Her breathing came in short gasps as she checked her skin for any damages. _

_Nothing._

_She sniffed. The air still smelled like burnt skin. She shuddered. She glanced around nervously. Where the heck am I?_

_All of a sudden, a hand appeared, grabbing her by the neck. She gasped as she tried to pry the fingers of her neck. The hand raised her higher and higher until her feet were feeling air around it. She made choking noises as she kicked at whoever held her._

_Her lungs felt like it was pierced a thousand times as it screamed for air. Her throat hurt her and she was already starting to lose hope. Then, she felt her energy draining away along with, possibly, her life._

_She forced her eyes to stay open. If she was going to die, she wanted to see the person who would cause her death._

_Two red dots started to form right before her eyes. Then, the dots got bigger, other colors starting to show. Then it mixed with each other until it formed a face._

_"Kagome," it hissed. It lowered its arm, the arm that was choking her until her face was millimeters away from its face._

_She made another choking sound. Then, without thinking, she slapped the person's face._

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He had been watching Kagome who was still unconscious with concerned eyes when he saw her hand moving fast towards his cheek. "Hey!" he yelped. He rubbed the tender spot where Kagome slapped her. "That hurts you know!!"

Kagome looked at him, confused. "Inuyasha?" she asked, her voice croaking. She blinked several times, as if not believing what she was seeing.

He glanced at her worriedly. "What is it?"

He watched her, rubbing her head. She slowly went to a seating position, wincing when her ankle bothered her. "What happened?"

"I'm the one who's supposed to say that," he said. "When I saw you, your hand clutched that ribbon on your clothes. I was going to check if your heart was beating so I held your hand and started to remove it but you refused to move it. Then, the next thing I know, your hand was raised and it hit me in the cheek." He let his gaze travel to her ankle. "How's your ankle? We need to fix that one."

"A dream," she murmured, as if not hearing any of his words.

Inuyasha looked at Kagome, concerned. Was she having a nightmare before he came? He started to open his mouth to say something when he got a look on Kagome's form. She was trembling, her hands wrapped around her. Concern visible in his eyes, he stepped forward, closer to her, and held her by her shoulders. "What's the matter? Is your ankle okay?" he asked, staring at the brown orbs in front of him.

When he first saw her lying unconscious beside the river, he had quickly went to her side to check if she was okay. And to his relief, the Tetsusaiga was still with her, beside her. Then, when he had seen that she didn't bear any minor injuries, he started to wonder why Sesshoumaru had left her unharmed but he was thankful also. Last night, when he saw his brother lunging after her, he feared that that night was going to be the last time he would see Kagome.

Thankfully, that thought didn't come true.

Kagome looked startled at him. "I'm fine, really," she said, smiling though her eyes didn't quite reach her smile. Those usual cheerful orbs were filled with sadness and confusion. For a second, he remembered Kikyou. She had also wore that same expression. Those sad eyes that never seemed to experience happiness.

Kikyou again! He mentally berated himself for thinking such an idea. He was with Kagome now. How many times did he have to tell himself that Kikyou isn't Kagome? That they are two different persons? How could he think of Kikyou when Kagome had nearly died?

He gritted his teeth. If Kagome didn't bring up the topic about Kikyou last night, he wouldn't see Kagome as Kikyou at a time like this.

"Inuyasha?"

He blinked, realizing that he had been staring into space with his hands still on her shoulders. He grabbed his hands away quickly, as if he was burnt. Then, he quickly looked away, his arms folded in front of him.

"What?"

"The Tetsusaiga," she began nervously. "I—," she faltered.

He glanced at her. "What about it?"

"I— I think I lost it," she said, twiddling her fingers nervously.

His face contorted with confusion. "But I found it with you," he said, tapping the Tetsusaiga's hilt with his finger.

Kagome's eyebrows rose so high that he thought that they were in danger of disappearing. "But how? I lost that when I fell!"

He shook his head. This must be one of the effects of what happened last night. "You must have been imaging things," he told her. Then, his expression turned soft. "Don't worry, you'd be okay."

"Maybe," she said, her voice trailing away. He noticed that she was still a bit unsure of what happened.

"Come on," he said, walking ahead of her. "The others are waiting for you." He glanced at her for a second and then he looked away. 

His gaze had landed on the path he came from. Leaves rustled and danced with the wind. Then, his eyes widened when a familiar scent drifted to his nose.

"Sesshoumaru!" he said. He glanced at the direction where he was coming from angrily. He could feel his scent coming closer, obviously to their spot. How could he have missed his scent? He was sure that Sesshoumaru's scent wasn't present a while ago. But then, it suddenly appeared, much to his annoyance.

He glanced at Kagome who was looking at him, worried. "Kagome, go and hide somewhere, far from here."

"But, Inuyasha," she protested, her brow furrowed. "I just can't—"

"Just go!" he bellowed. "I won't be able to concentrate on fighting Sesshoumaru." 

Kagome's face contorted, showing anger. It amazed Inuyasha on how Kagome could quickly change expressions no matter what the situation. "What do you—"

"You might get hurt in the process," he interrupted, glaring at her. "Just go, okay?" Then, his face softened. "Be careful with your ankle, okay?"

At hearing what he said, Kagome quickly calmed down and nodded. She walked off and left him, heading east. He watched her back slowly disappearing into the trees as she made her way through the foliages around her. For a second, he thought that she looked like Kikyou. Her slow steps (because of her ankle), the forlorn way on how she moved. 

_Kikyou…_

_ Had Kikyou showed up last night?_

He was relieved that Kagome was safe. But when he first saw her—with the Tetsusaiga, he smelled a familiar scent coming from the sword. 

_The smell of earth, clay, and bones._

_Kikyou's scent._

_Kikyou's scent was on the sword._

His brows furrowed deeper. Is Kikyou related to what happened? But… _NO!_ Kikyou couldn't had possible harmed Kagome… _Could she?_

And what about his brother? Why didn't he get killed?

He frowned. Things were starting to get weirder by the minute. What did Kikyou do? What was her 'part'?

And what did Sesshoumaru really want? He had 'played' with him last night already. It wasn't like him to play twice or thrice—which means, Sesshoumaru, who was headed towards him, was serious about fighting this time. But then, why did he let Kagome go 'unharmed'? And if there was a specific reason, why didn't Sesshoumaru attack Kagome, considering his speed, and him. He was there, right under his brother's nose. 

_What happened last night?_

He needed the answers to his questions. And, somehow, he felt that Sesshoumaru knew something.

And so, when he couldn't see her back anymore, he ran towards the direction where Sesshoumaru was coming from.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

She pushed a branch that was threatening to scratch her face as she walked towards only God-knows-where. She really had no clue on what place she would find herself into. All she knows was that she should go away from Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru as far as possible.

As she walked, she tried to recall what happened to her on the river. She knew that she didn't have the Tetsusaiga with her, that she lost it there. But how did the sword appeared beside her? And what did her dream mean?

As she slowly went deeper to the forest, Kagome noticed the sudden 'change' in her surroundings. For a moment, her steps faltered. 

Her heartbeat quickened as she surveyed her surroundings with scrutinizing eyes. The trees, the small plants seemed different to her eyes… And the atmosphere… It had changed…

Her eyes widened a bit at a sudden realization. This strange feeling… this was the same sensation she felt last night! 

She took a step back, wanting to go back. A sweat trickled down from her forehead to her cheek. Unconsciously, she wiped it off with the back of her hand. She clenched her fists. _Going back is too risky, _she thought. _I may not be able to make it… And Sesshoumaru…_

She stopped moving and strained her ears for any odd sounds. For a moment, she stood there, hearing the birds' chirping with the forest's eerie silence of the atmosphere. If ever a term like that existed. 

Her ears perked up at the sound of a moving bush. _To her right!_ She quickly whirled around and faced her right, looking at the direction of the sound apprehensively. At that moment, she wished she had her bow and arrows with her. Right now, much as she hated to admit it, she was pretty defenseless.

Inch by inch, she started to move towards that bush. However, the sound suddenly stopped. She stared at it for a few minutes before she let out the air she had been unconsciously holding.

Shaking her head, she continued to where her feet would take her. _I must be losing it, _she thought. But then… She placed her finger to her lips. The same eerie atmosphere still hung in the air.

With a loud sigh, she decided to continue walking and just ignore the sensation that was creeping towards her. With all the strength she could muster, she held a 'barrier' in her mind just in case. The sensation, if she could remember clearly, produced and spread contentment in her mind last night. Surely, the same thing would happen today. And she was determined to overcome it. After all, wasn't she the one who always survived the spiritual attacks? 

With a newfound confidence, she continued walking, filling her mind with only the questions she had been asking a while ago. What happened to her, with the Tetsusaiga, Sesshoumaru, river, look-alike. She repeated these in her head like a mantra as she continued walking until her head ached as she tried to think of the possible reasons and so, she decided to concentrate on the path ahead of her.

The trail that she took was a rough one. Occasionally, she brought up her hands to protect herself from the branches and leaves that were protruding at different angles. Her mind barrier almost slipped but then she held it up again while she concentrated herself on not tripping over anything in her way. Large roots were sticking out on the ground along with rocks and stones that were scattered around. Her legs were already feeling a bit itchy because of the tall grass that reached up near her knees.

The sun was already completely up, shining brightly at her. She held up her hand to cover her eyes from the blinding light of the sun. Different kinds of birds flew around, making noises along the way. She continued walking when, suddenly, she felt a Shikon Shard near her.

Her heart pounded wildly. Her body tensed up, turning clammy and cold. Then, she started to look for the direction where the Shikon Shard could be found. 

Her brows furrowed lightly when she found out the direction where the Shard was coming from. She made her way towards the direction, silently. She knew that she shouldn't be here. She knew that she could easily get hurt if the holder of the Shard would be youkai. However, she couldn't help it. Like they say, curiosity kills the cat. 

She walked faster as she neared the Shard. Her blood was already pounding in her veins, her breath coming faster. The grass beneath her made rustling noises, and she was making more noise than what was wise but she didn't notice. Her attention was on the nearing presence of the Shard and not the danger around her. 

"I'm getting near it!" she murmured excitedly. She kept her gaze straight in front of her and saw a not-so-visible clearing that was hidden behind the large branches of the trees and its thick leaves.

She walked briskly, her eyes trained on the small clearing. When she was near the entrance of the clearing, she tripped on a large root that was protruding from the ground. She went sprawling on the ground with her legs and arms splayed around her.

"Oww," she said as she slowly straightened up herself. She brushed up specks of dirt from her clothes as she let her butt sit on her heels. She started to inspect herself of any minor cuts on her arms when she heard laughter just around the corner.

She glanced up in surprise at hearing the giddy laughter. Temporarily forgetting her fall for the meantime, she stood up and walked near the tree that led to the small clearing. As she entered, she felt that the sensation was heavier but she pushed it aside. She wanted to know where that laughter was coming.

 When she saw the possible source of the laughter, a look of surprise passed her face.

"Rin?" she asked herself, dumbfounded. But then, why was Rin alone? _Surely_, she thought as she glanced around the clearing, _Either Jaken is with her or Sesshoumaru. But Sesshoumaru is probably fighting with Inuyasha right now so Jaken should be here_, she thought, her eyes roaming around, looking for the presence of Jaken; however, there was no one around. Rin was alone.

She remained standing beside the tree, watching the scene in front of her. It seemed that the shade of the large tree and the foliage around her was hiding her well. Rin haven't even noticed her presence… yet.

She watched Rin picking up something from the ground. Then, she noticed another person with black, wavy hair whose back was facing her. Rin spoke excitedly to the person with wavy hair who was kneeling in front of Rin.

"Isn't it pretty?" Rin exclaimed, smiling pleasantly. She held up a necklace that features a crystal, white trinket as she walked towards the person with the wavy hair.

Her eyes widened. That wasn't just any ordinary trinket! "A shard," she whispered.

"It is, Rin," she heard the girl replied, patting Rin on the head. "Do you like it?"

"Hai, Kagome-sama!" Rin answered cheerfully. "Rin likes it very much!"

Her body stiffened at hearing her name. For a second, she thought that Rin had noticed her but then she remembered that Rin was talking to the person with wavy hair. She couldn't be the only person named 'Kagome', right? _Baka, Kagome!_

She stared at the person thoughtfully. Maybe she was a caretaker of Rin. Maybe Sesshoumaru brought along another company with him to help him in managing Rin since Jaken wasn't doing a very good job.

In that case, she thought, shuddering. She shouldn't be here. If she was a caretaker of Rin, she should be a dangerous youkai, knowing that Sesshoumaru wouldn't let someone weak and incapable guard over Rin while he wasn't around.

She took a step backwards, hoping not to get noticed by the two. However, as she took another step, she heard twigs breaking beneath her. She cursed silently.

Rin glanced up at hearing the twigs. She saw her eyes widening with excitement. Rin ran towards her, hugging her.

"Kagome!" she exclaimed, happily. 

She could only stare at Rin helplessly as she tried to pry Rin's fingers off her without hurting the girl's feelings. She wanted to run away at the very instant.

However, Rin kept a tight hold on her, ranting happily. She couldn't really hear what Rin was saying. Her gaze was transfixed on the person with the wavy hair who was slowly standing up. The girl turned around slowly.

She gasped as she found herself staring at the person Rin was talking to a while ago. The person, 'Kagome', smiled at her.

She remained rooted to her spot as she continued staring at the person in front of her in disbelief. _This can't be true,_ she thought, repeating those words in her head like a mantra.

However, her eyesight wasn't telling a lie. She was looking at a person with the same brownish-blue eyes, wavy black hair like hers. The same complexion and facial features.

She felt like she was looking into a mirror except that she wasn't. She was looking at a real person. 

And she was sure that the girl wasn't Kikyou. It couldn't be Kikyou and wasn't Kikyou. The girl in front of her could already pass as her double.

The girl smiled wider, as if hearing her realization. Kagome's head was already swimming with questions that she felt so confused. Her head pounded so loudly that it could almost rival the beating of her heart. 

_Who is she?_

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Response to Reviews: 

**CELYIA:** I'm really glad that you like my fic! After all, you are one of the most promising writers of SessKag fics here in Ffnet. I especially thank you for the nice compliments about the way I write and the beginning of the fic. I hope you would like the upcoming chapters too!

**HANAKO:** Nice guess! But I'm afraid it's wrong! However, you did get one right. She woke up beside the river but not hurt. But the questions are: how did she survive? Who helped her? And the answers are most certainly not Rin, Sesshoumaru, or even Jaken!

**JAMMINCAT9:** I'm sorry but I would try to get it faster to the SessKag. But I don't want to sacrifice clarity about what happen and how did it happen because it would play an important role in the future! Don't mind, I would get it faster there. I also WANT to get to there already. Just hang on, okay? I am featuring Sesshoumaru here! J How could I not??

**GWENIVERE:** Hi! Thanks for your review! I know! Well, how would people review if they are not given the cliffhanger?? Lol.

**CJ:** Thanks for that too! I am glad that you read this humbly fic of mine!

**SESS'S GAL and LUNARWOLF:** Thank you for that correction! Tehee, at least you got a good laugh at that one cause I got a good laugh at my mistake!!!

**KMF:** I'm so honored that you read this!! Considering that you are an InuKag fan. [I never read those -_-, no offense] Please hang on, okay? Arigatou!

**APIE: **Thanks a lot! *smiling happily*

**SURFANGEL:** It was getting really good? Hehe. Please forgive me for giving that cliffie. Hope you still find this chappie good!

**ATASHI-WA-YUME: **thank you! Please read this.. and review, okay?

**DARK ANGEL666: **Oh, thank you! Me too! I save a fanfic if I find it good! Thanks for saving this one!

**RYMSIE: **Thanks! And I should say the same to you! Continue "Finding Humanity"! You know, coming from one of the most promising writers of SesKag, your review meant a lot to me! I never see your name in reviews often. Guess you're more of a writer, and not a reader, eh?

**INA: **Thanks! I know, I'm human too. Still has mistakes. But please bear with it anyway. I got tired of reediting since I find a mistake every now and then.

**PAPERTHIN: **Here's more to you! Hope you like it, and REVIEW!

**DARK TOPAZ: **Here's more! Review for this chappie okay?

**KRISTI: **Update granted!

**SAILORFANGIRL: **Updated! Though not 'soon'. Hehe.

**LIL-INUYASHA: **Thanks for continuously reviewing. Let's not break the continuity of it, okay?

**LADY DARK ANGEL: **Hey, are you Dark Angel666? Anyway, here's more!

**MISORICHAN: **Here you go!

**RIN: **Sorry to keep you waiting!

**EMPRESS SATORI, LADY RISSA, DARK STAR, JJ, YUKO, UNNAMED, LUNNAKITTY, LITTLE SISTER, SMOKE AND MIRRORS, FLARE, DARK RIDER, SINFULLY BLACK, TWITCH: **A HUGE THANK YOU! All of your reviews mean a lot to me!


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